Cheshire 1 - the Bickerton Poacher and climbing a castle

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Normally we would be atop one of the peaks of the Clwydian Range- Moel Famau, Y Fenlli or Moel Arthur. The view from the top across the Dee estuary, the Cheshire Plain punctuated by its one and only hill Beeston, the Pennines in the distance and the Vale of Clwyd rolling in the other direction.

However today we decided to be different. We have been feeling a little at sea now that we are home. Cleaning of Suzy completed, the fridge empty, the throws washed and dried. The only thing left was to hope for a warm and sunny day to take the bedding out and wash the duvet and base covers. Today was that day,the sun was shining and the washing done. We had ordered a sign with our van number on it to use on sites to advise campers that we had paid for the plot but gone out for the day and would be returning . That arrived in the post today.

The new grey Sanef box to use on the tolls had been ordered last week and had arrived which meant that marital bliss could return to the household. Oh the joy of not having to hang out of the half opened window to collect a ticket or pay the toll fee. And finally the Kindle had died. It was only 15 months old and had developed a ghost image of the screen saver in the top left hand corner which obscured the text underneath. A quick email to Amazon and the response suggested we switched it off for 20 seconds, switch it back on and allow it to reboot and hey presto it would work again. Everything went well until it came on and the screensaver was still there in the corner. A further phone call to Amazon ensured and we were told it was faulty and of course out of warranty. Why is it that you hardly use an item and just as it goes out of guarantee it goes wrong?. Something about Sods Law I hear you say. We could have a new one – not the new Touch screen – but an identical one to the old one for £40. I just hope this one lasts longer than 15 months although I am glad that we found out before we left on our next trip. I would have hated setting off and finding I couldn't catch up on my reading.

Anyway I digress. We decided to head over to one of our neighbouring counties - Cheshire . We stopped for lunch at a lovely pub The Bickerton Poacher in the small village of Peckforton in Cheshire. It was quiet when we got there and we had the place to ourselves, the owners and the cleaner. It was a pub I had visited years ago but had changed beyond all recognition although I did recognise the cleaner . Had I changed that much – she didn’t recognise me? The landlord and landlady welcomed us with one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen and nothing seemed to much trouble. We could choose from the standard menu or the specials board. In the end lunch was a large plate of ham, two eggs and chips and for me a light lunch of plaice, chips and peas. The food arrived very quickly and was delicious. I wondered if the pub which was much changed had kept its old fashioned skittle alley and indeed it had . It had also diversified into camping with pitches next to the pub. The cost for a motorhome pitch seemed to be around £12 with a £3 fee for electrical hook up. It seems an ideal spot for walking in the Peckforton Hills, visiting nearby Beeston Castle and the Sandstone Trail.

After our lunch we headed for Beeston Castle. Again this was a place I had visited many years ago before the children were born and many times after. The area around the castle is very pretty and photogenic. Peckforton Castle now a up market hotel/restaurant and surrounded by trees which have grown up over the years. Pretty black and white magpie cottages some of which are thatched. Houses mellow built in the red sandstone of the area. The canal criss-crossed by the many hump back bridges along the tiny back lanes. Fields full of black and white cows. Pretty wild flowers growing along the roadsides.

As we approached the castle I was reminded of the motorbike scrambling that took place in the early 1970s every Bank Holiday and the busy market in the nearby town. The scrambling a thing of the past. i wondered if the market had gone the same way.

We parked opposite the pretty Victorian built gateway. The car park is privately owned and signs advised it was nothing to do with English Heritage. I imagine that they were fed up of being chastised about the £3 parking fee.

Since my last visit English Heritage have been busy building a purpose built visitor centre with displays of finds from the castle digs. Beeston is perched on a rocky sandstone crag 350 feet above the Cheshire Plain. It was built in the 1220's and was kept in good repair until the 16th century when it had no use militarily. It did however come back into use as many castles did during the English Civil War. After the English Civil War the destruction was undertaken to stop its use as a stronghold. The castle is ruined but still an impressive site on its rocky crag.

The climb to the castle starts inside the gates and climbs steeply to the outer gatehouse. The outer curtain wall around the gatehouse is impressive. From the outer gatehouse the climb continues again steeply making the backs of knees ache until you reach the modern bridge which leads into the inner part of the castle.

The views from the top are magnificent over the immaculately cut hedges and the bright green fields. Despite the haze Jodrell Bank could be clearly seen, the shape of Liverpool cathedral was dominating the horizon 22 miles away. We could pick out the Pennines, dark and brooding 30miles further on and the peaks of the Welsh mountains. We found ourselves looking at Moel Fammau 30 miles away instead of looking down from it. We could not see the Wrekin in nearby Shropshire but apparently it was there.. We read that from the top you can see 8 counties. Perhaps the next tax will be to work out which ones they are.

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Photos

Beeston
The castle

Beeston
View to North wales from the top